Coiling key for collapsible tubes



NOV. 20, 1928. 1,692,213

H. KIELBERG COILING KEY FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed Oct. 1927 INVENTDRMia M HTTURNEY Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

HENRY IKIELBERG, OF MARTIN'S FERRY, OH IO.

COILING KEY FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES.

Application filed October 3, 1927. Serial No. 228,601.

This invention relates to a device for coil ing collapsible tubes toeffect removal of the contents of such tubes, and it has for its primaryobject to provide a simple and inexpensive device or instrument adaptedfor application to an end of a collapsible tube of the charactercommonly employed as containers for pastes, paints and the like, wherebysuch tube may conveniently be rolled for ejecting the contents throughthe open end of the latter.

A further object is to provide an instrument of the character mentionedby means of which is obviated the necessity for the application to thecollapsible tube body of finger pressure, which latter tends unduly todistort the tube and which, ordinarily, is ineffectual for completelyremoving the contents of the latter.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of theinvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an end elevation;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a slightly modified form of theinvention.

The invention consists of a key-like onepiece structure which includes abody 1, preferably of cylindrical form in cross section, and atransversely disposed finger piece 2 located at oneend of said body. Asshown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the device is constructed of sheetmetal, the body 1 thereof being bent into approximately tubular formwith the opposite, or approaching, edges spaced apart to form alongitudinally extending slot 3. Said slot is designed to receivetherein the closed bottom end of a collapsible metal tube 4, shown inbroken lines in Fi s. 1, 2 and 3, following which said tubular ody isrotated to coil thereon the metal of such tube, thereby to exertpressure for expelling the tube contents from its open end, as desired.

The side of the tubular body 1 opposite the slot 3 is extended at oneend to form the finger piece 2 which consists of two oppositely disposedwings 2, each of which is made of concavo-convex form designed'conformably to fit the ball of a thumb or finger, thereby to facilitatethe grasping of the finger piece by the user. As shown, the wings 2 arereversely disposed.

It is preferred that one of the approaching, or slot-defining edges ofthe tubular body 1 shall present one or more tooth-like proj ections 5located in the circumferential plane of said body, and that theconfronting edge shall be correspondingly recessed, as shown at 6,thereby to render-the slot 3 slightly sinuous throughout a portion ofits length. Said projections or teeth 5 are designed, upon rotation ofthe instrument relative to the col lapsible tube, to seat in depressionsthereby formed in the metal of the tube for securing the instrumentagainst chance displacement from its operative position. As is apparent,since the metal of the tube is readily flexible, introduction of theflattened closed end of said tube in the sinuous slot 3 may be readilyeffected.

The structure. shown in Fig. 4 differs from that disclosed in Fig. 1only in that a plurality of teeth 5 are substituted for the single toothof the lastmentioned figure.

As is obvious, the instrument is permanently carried by the tubefollowing application to the latter, and, in the continued use thereof,the entire body portion of the tube is coiled upon the body, thuseffecting removal of substantially the entire contents.

What is claimed is- 1. A key-like device of the character de scribedcomprising a tubular sheet metal body havin at one end thereof afinger-piece where y said body may be rotated, the confronting edges ofsaid body being correspondingly serrated and spaced a art to form asinuous longitudinally exten ingslot adapted for the reception of theflattened end 0 collapsible tube.

2. A key-like device of the character described comprising a tubularsheet metal body havin at one end thereof a finger-piece where y saidbody may be rotated, one of the confronting edges of said body carryingintermediate its ends a tooth-llke rojection and the opposite edge beingprovi ed with a correspondingly located recess, said edges being spacedapart to form a slot adapted for the reception of the flattened end of acollapsible tube.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HE RY KIELBERG,

